Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Addis Ababa

For one person, living is cheaper in Addis Ababa: $1,287 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Addis Ababa
Learn more

Addis Ababa Living Index

Jump to prices

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Addis Ababa

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,287

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Addis Ababa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Buenos Aires and in Addis Ababa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,287 in Addis Ababa.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Addis Ababa $1,287

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $1,891 in Addis Ababa.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Addis Ababa $1,891

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $2,495 in Addis Ababa.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Addis Ababa $2,495

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 31% more expensive than in Addis Ababa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Addis Ababa is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$4.09 ETB 658

357.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$42.95 ETB 6,901

50.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$6.60 ETB 1,061

95.15%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$0.89 ETB 142

347.19%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$0.59 ETB 94.2

247.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$0.64 ETB 103

142.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$0.81 ETB 131

374.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$2.31 ETB 372

99.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$1.07 ETB 171

34.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$1.17 ETB 188

110.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$2.17 ETB 349

-24.88%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$1.75 ETB 281

65.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$7.35 ETB 1,181

44.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$10.16 ETB 1,632

-1.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$9.15 ETB 1,470

50.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$5.31 ETB 853

-48.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$0.68 ETB 110

220.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$2.16 ETB 347

-32.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$0.65 ETB 105

206.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$0.49 ETB 79.3

153.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$1.04 ETB 167

22.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$0.69 ETB 111

146.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$0.58 ETB 92.5

198.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$7.83 ETB 1,258

-46.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$5.77 ETB 927

0.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$0.68 ETB 109

207.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$1.28 ETB 206

116.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$0.49 ETB 78.1

53.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$21.23 ETB 3,411

27.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$1.33 ETB 214

21.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$0.27 ETB 43.19

262.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$2.04 ETB 327

278.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$0.90 ETB 144

51.11%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$55.7K ETB 8.9M

-49.70%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$56.7K ETB 9.1M

-39.08%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$216 ARS 326.9K

$204 ETB 32.9K

5.42%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$7.20 ETB 1,156

255.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$208 ETB 33.5K

-84.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$43.98 ETB 7,066

13.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$36.11 ETB 5,803

-52.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$3.74 ETB 600

178.88%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$466 ARS 706.7K

$137 ETB 22.0K

239.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$30.1K ETB 4.8M

-69.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$33.12 ETB 5,322

268.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$71.5 ETB 11.5K

36.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$79.2 ETB 12.7K

47.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$83.9 ETB 13.5K

66.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$694 ETB 111.6K

9.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$390 ETB 62.7K

29.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$2,309 ETB 371.0K

-30.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$782 ETB 125.6K

51.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$1,918 ETB 308.2K

39.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$991 ETB 159.2K

87.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$205 ETB 32.9K

365.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

18.5

209.46%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Addis Ababa: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Addis Ababa

$390 30.1% 22.8% $115

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Addis Ababa

$212 16.3% 25.5% $72

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Addis Ababa

$77 5.9% 72.5% $202

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Addis Ababa

$420 32.4% 54.1% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Addis Ababa

$120 9.3% 43.8% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Addis Ababa

$51 4% 27.2% $19

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Addis Ababa

$26 2% 29.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $694 in Addis Ababa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 366% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $43.00 in Addis Ababa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $212 per month, with Addis Ababa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇪🇹 Addis Ababa

🕒 Local time

03:31 3:31 AM

09:31 9:31 AM

6 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

3,500,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Addis Ababa 11,230 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Addis Ababa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Buenos Aires vs Addis Ababa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Addis Ababa differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $1,287 including rent). Addis Ababa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 366% higher in Buenos Aires, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $694 in Addis Ababa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,685 per month in Buenos Aires versus $1,287 in Addis Ababa – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Addis Ababa runs roughly 28% less than in Buenos Aires. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,287 in Addis Ababa versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Addis Ababa but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Addis Ababa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Buenos Aires and Addis Ababa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Addis Ababa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.